The Different Types of Friendship
by KhemRocks
Summary: SPOILERS! The Pharaoh looks back over his life and thinks to his former host that friendship comes in many forms, and thanks him for his. Oneshot.


**The Different Types of Friendship**

**Summary: **SPOILERS!! The Pharaoh looks back over his life and thinks to his former host that friendship comes in many forms, and thanks him for his. Oneshot.

**Disclaimer: **As always, property of Kazuki Takahashi and affiliated. I gain no monetary benefit, etc. Beware the sap! And I mean it, major spoilers!

Looking back over my years of existence, I have come to believe that there are different kinds of friendships. And I don't mean just how strong those bonds are, or how many of them you have, or even how long you have had them.

From the moment you and I met, I had no name until you gave me one, no memories until you shared yours with me (even now I can still vividly recall the tears that welled in your large eyes, the same violet as my own, as you looked up at me in the moonlight falling from your skylight, though you outshone it: the moon reflects its light from another, while I always thought that your soul had a bright glow all of its own, warming those who came into contact with you).

Until the end, you never knew that my name was Pharaoh Atem, Lord of the Two Lands, Ruler of Khemet, the Land the Gods Loved.

You never knew that my skin was really a dark Khemetic copper, or that I covered it with a king's fine linens and gold.

You never knew that I was only a baby when the Items, including the one that used to hang around your neck, were created.

You never knew that I took the throne of Khemet when I was still really a child, and that there was a time when I thought that I would never come to terms with the devastating loss of my father, my role model, to the point where I could continue to function as a human being.

You never knew the tidal wave of emotions that I felt, my aching body bowed, knees against the hard, cold stone floor of an underground temple, at the mercy of a thief, when I learnt from an old friend how much he had really loved me.

You never knew that I stood on my balcony the night before my coronation, surrounded by vivid pictures of the same mighty, all-powerful image of pharaohs past on the walls, staring out over the land that I now ruled, wondering how I would ever be as strong as them, if I would fail my beloved country and all of her people.

You never knew that there were times that I thought I had, until hope was restored as suddenly and strikingly as a bolt of lightning through the clouds.

You never knew how exhilarated, how relieved, how _happy_ I was at all the good times, great and small, from when my priests and I were able to save the people from invading armies, or simply when the Nile reached the right levels and we knew that they would not go hungry.

You never knew that my first real crush was on a girl in my class when I was a young boy, and that I would often sit there, cross-legged like a scribe with my papyrus held in my uncaring fingers, the teacher's words going right over my head, staring at the way the light caught her shiny dark hair and glinted off of her earrings.

You never knew that I knew I was finally over it when I found the lotus flower that I had worked up the courage to give her on the floor tiles of the schoolhouse, squashed by a sandal, saw her the next day staring another boy, and realized that I didn't care nearly as much as I thought that I would.

You never knew that for most of my early childhood I was to found with a small girl with brown hair in tow, and that it seemed like I saw her eyes, green as the shallow waters of the Nile, filled with tears from the sight of a snake one moment, wide and bright as she talked of her dreams of becoming a great spellcaster the next.

You never knew that I was also with a slightly older other boy, who would grow up to the most powerful spellcaster in the land, and although I cherished him, that I would never really know how much he returned the favour until it was all really too late.

You never knew that my favourite savoury food was Nile perch in a creamy sauce, and that my favourite sweet one were honey cakes, and that I would often sneak more than I should whenever the adults were watching the dancers.

You never knew that one night I then had to sit there all the way until bedtime, so that my attendants would not see the honey stains on my white schenti and know what I had done.

You never knew that I excelled at Senet.

You never knew that my favourite childhood toy was a wooden lion with a mouth that could open and close on a bit of string, and that finding that my priests or father had placed it in my room in the afterlife struck me like a warm bolt straight into my heart, and I felt overwhelmed as the wonder and gratitude and the slow realization that I was cared for washed over me once again since passing through those momentous doors filled with glowing white.

You never knew that I felt a pang in my heart when I sat down at the celebratory feast my first night in the afterlife, and realized that I would never hear Joey and Tristan crowing over food again, or Tea's voice scolding them, tone fierce but with care deep in her blue eyes.

You never knew that I built a temple to all of the important people that I came across in my time in the modern world, and that it is known as the Temple of Light, because of the prophecy of the hope of light that you brought to fruition, and because you were all my light at some time, you most of all.

But somehow, you and I never let that stop us. Our bond as friends, as partners, grew and stayed strong, perhaps flickering like a candle flame in a breeze as we were tested by those dark times (it feels as though my very ka is dimming as I remind myself that I was the source of some of that misery) but still burning strong, until we could look back when we were in need and be warmed by its fire. I know that I always did.

You never knew that I admired you for your goodness, your heart, for as long as I can remember.

You'll never really know that I always will.

**A/N: **My first Yami/Yugi piece! I do love those two. I didn't intend this to be slashy/insinuate any real pairings, but feel free to read it a certain way if you wish. I have tried to incorporate the knowledge I have gained through my obsession with ancient Egypt as much as I could, such as with the food, games, toys names for the Pharaoh/Egypt etc. Any questions, feel free to message me, and I would be happy to answer. And as always, I live on reviews. Thank you.


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